Book Review: 61 Hours, by Lee Child.

61 Hours (Jack Reacher, Book 14)

Give a book or movie a countdown and the pressure is on.  That is exactly what happens in this edition of the Jack Reacher series, 61 Hours.  Lee Childs created a very suspenseful tale here with enough intrigue that you lose sight of how short a time the whole story covers.  Only two and a half days, give or take a few minutes.
Reacher catches a ride on a tourist bus filled with senior citizens.  That may have been his first mistake.

A Crash in a Snowstorm

When the bus crashes in an icy snowstorm in South Dakota, they are isolated, far away from any towns.  When someone from the small town of Bolton shows up to rescue them, it soon becomes clear they have bigger problems.

They are in the process of protecting a witness.  They are also expecting a killer–to stop her from testifying.  Or could the killer already be there?

At the far end of town sits the new jail the city worked so hard to get approved and built there.  It brought lots of jobs.  It increased the size of their little police department. It brought to business to the whole area.

Complications

The only problem is what they agreed to in order to seal the deal.  If the siren at the prison sounded,  every single one on their small force would stop what they were doing and go straight to the jail.   All of them.  Leave a crime in progress, leave an accident scene, leave a witness unprotected.

Once they decide Reacher isn’t their killer, the police force quickly learns that Jack Reacher might be a valuable asset.

Meanwhile a drug lord in Mexico prepares to come to Bolton.  He has a job to do at an abandoned government facility and no one dares stand in his way.

Except, of course, Jack.

The continuing saga of Jack Reacher

If you have read other of Lee Child’s series, you are no doubt already a fan.  Apparently some of his loyal followers think Jack is becoming less Jack-like, and would like to see Mr. Child’s return to his old ways, taking on the bad guys throughout the book.  Personally I enjoyed this story immensely.  Not that I don’t like seeing Jack overcome insurmountable odds, but the tension in this story, seeing it all reach its peak, was very entertaining.
I’m already looking forward to his next one,  Worth Dying For.  It’s number fifteen in his series.  With so many fans, I hope he keeps Jack going indefinitely.

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If you’ve never read the Jack Reacher series, I think you would enjoy starting at the beginning with  The Killing Floor. You don’t have to.  Each is a solid stand alone story, but it seems appropriate to travel with Jack right from the start.

 

Killing Floor (Jack Reacher, Book 1)

Here’s the next one for me, Worth Dying For, published in 2010. Jack hits Nebraska in book 15 of the series. A local clan is determined to get Jack out of their way, but Jack is too interested in a cold case to let it go. Should be an exciting read!

Worth Dying For (Jack Reacher, Book 15)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Merry Citarella, often writing as Merrci, writes on a wide range of topics. Recently relocated to the Oregon Coast in the northwest United States, she frequently writes travel features on the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She specializes in health and aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, food, lifestyle, and book reviews. For more information you can see her on The Writers’Door. You can read more articles here or at her websites Alzheimers HQ and Simple Living Ideas